North Dakota

Generations on 1st LLC, Fargo, Chapter 11

Parkside Place, Fargo, Chapter 11

The Ruins, Fargo, Chapter 11

Gary Lee Heilman, Minot, Chapter 7

Bryan Lee Ellison, Bismarck, Chapter 7

Christa A. and Christopher S. Benjamin, Newburg, Chapter 7

Robert Craig Ashby, Fargo, Chapter 7

Shirley Lee Hatten, Grenora, Chapter 7

Mitchell Don Frieler, Fargo, Chapter 7

Minnesota

Bankruptcy filings from the following counties: Becker, Clay, Douglas, Grant, Hubbard, Mahnomen, Norman, Otter Tail, Polk, Traverse, Wadena and Wilkin.

Kelly Dean and Jeanne Sheree Fingalson, Detroit Lakes, Chapter 13

Barbara Rae Vaughan, Fergus Falls, Chapter 7

Lynn Rene Schroeder, Dilworth, Chapter 13

Chapter 7 is a petition to liquidate assets and discharge debts.

Chapter 11 is a petition for protection from creditors and to reorganize.

Chapter 12 is a petition for family farmers to reorganize.

Chapter 13 is a petition for wage earners to readjust debts.

Our newsroom occasionally reports stories under a byline of “staff.” Often, the “staff” byline is used when rewriting basic news briefs that originate from official sources, such as a city press release about a road closure, and which require little or no reporting. At times, this byline is used when a news story includes numerous authors or when the story is formed by aggregating previously reported news from various sources. If outside sources are used, it is noted within the story.

To the editor,

After watching the smoke and mirrors dog and pony show in Bismarck it is obvious that the Legislature has no intention of reforming the unfair property tax.

No mention was made concerning the unfairness of this tax that severely burdens poor taxpayers, while letting many rich taxpayers off the hook with little to no taxes. Nothing was said about the state totally funding K-12 education, which is mandated by the North Dakota Constitution. If education isn’t funded by the Legislature, all the legislators need to be charged with violating their oath of office and be fined, fired and imprisoned.

Instead, all that is being proposed is to put makeup and lipstick on the pig and tell us they are working on it.

Will they be able to fool the people once again or will the people see that they are once again just putting lipstick on the pig? Time will tell.

Steve Moen
Minot, North Dakota

What is the most abundant mammal in North America? I saw that question used in trivia recently. The answer was deer mouse. I am not so sure about that, in part because deer mouse is used to refer to a genus of mice as well one of the species of the genus. Either way, deer mice are certainly one of the contenders.

There are over a dozen species of small mammals that the casual observer may refer to as mice in North Dakota. That would include the house mouse, deer mice, voles, pocket mice, jumping mice, and shrews. The term deer mouse is used to refer to mice in the genus Peromyscus. Most are gray or reddish brown with a white underbelly, white feet, and comparatively large ears. And they are often characterized as having large “bulging” eyes. Robert Seabloom in his Mammals of North Dakota lists two species of Peromyscus in North Dakota.

What is commonly known as a deer mouse (P. maniculatus), a species of the grasslands, is common and abundant throughout the state. They are around 6 inches long, including a tail about 2.5 inches long. Although juveniles may be gray, adults are usually a brown to grayish-brown. Seabloom also notes that they have “distinctly” bicolored tails which helps in identification.

The deer mouse feeds largely on seeds and insects. Home range for these mice is around 2-3 acres. They are prey to several animals including snakes, hawks, owls, and fox. They are also a major carrier of the hantavirus.

The white-footed deer mouse (P. leucopus) is a species of wooded areas, and as such is less common. It is similar in appearance to the deer mouse but is perhaps a bit larger. Seabloom also notes that their “indistinctly bicolored tail” is a key characteristic in identification.

Like the deer mouse, the white-footed deer mouse feeds largely on seeds and insects. Acorns can also be an important food item. Their home range is less than that of a deer mouse, averaging around one acre

If you are interested in more information on the biology, ecology, and identification of these and other North Dakota mammals, I suggest you check out Mammals of North Dakota by UND professor emeritus Robert Seabloom. First published in 2011, it is now in its second edition.